Pallet handling machine



,March 17, 1970 E. E. CRlLE PALLET HANDLING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 14, 1968 INVENTOR.

EUGENE E. CRILE March 17, 1970 E. E. CRILE 3,501,028

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2.

INVENTOR.

EUGENE E CRILE BY March 17, 1970 E. E. CRILE 3,501,023

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1968 '7 Sheets-$11991. 5

INVENTOR. EUGENE E. CRILE E. E. CRILE PALLET HANDLING MACHINE March 17,1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed March 14, 1968 FIG.4.

FIG. 5.

INVENTOR.

EUGENE E. CRILE ,March 17, 1970 E. E. CRILE 3,501,023

PALLET HANDLING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.EUGENE E. CRILE E. E. CRILE PALLET HANDLING MACHINE March 17, 1970'Filed March 14, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG. ll.

L, FIG. I2.

INVENTOR. EUGENE E. CRILE United States Patent US. Cl. 214-464 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pallet handling machine particularlyadapted for use in handling pallets normally used for supportingconcrete blocks; said machine comprising a pallet carrying means movableinto and out of a position between vertical members of pallet supportingracks and having means wedgeably adapted to pass between a pair ofhorizontally spaced members of a rack, the pallet carrying means alsocomprising means to permit said pallet carrying means to move freelylaterally of its direction of movement into and out of the racks; saidlast mentioned means vertically movably operable on a main frame so thatthe pallet carrying means may successively be moved vertically withrespect to a plurality of superimposed shelves in a pallet supportingrack; the said means adapted to be wedgeably engaged between thehorizontally spaced members of the racks being adapted to force thepallet carrying means laterally of its movement direction and intoalignment with a shelf of the pallet rack.

This invention relates to a pallet handling machine, and moreparticularly, to a pallet handling machine for handling concrete blockson pallets immediately after the production of Said blocks by a concreteblock machine, and during the curing of the blocks, and subsequentthereto at a time when'the blocks are ready to be stripped from thepallets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art comprises pallet handlingmachines which have heretofore been used to receive freshly producedconcrete blocks on pallets directly from a production machine, and thesepallet handling machines of the prior art have been employed to placeladen pallets in racks having superimposed shelves; similar machineshave been used to remove the laden'pallets from the racks after theconcrete blocks have been cured on the pallets.

Due to the lack of uniformity in some of the racks occasioned byaccidental rough handling, the racks are not always uniform andtherefore the indexing of the racks by means of a suitable support andthe advancing of the racks from one bay of shelves to another does notalways provide precise alignment of the rack shelves with the pallethandling machine, and consequently, the pallet carrying means of suchmachines, when moving into position between vertical members of a rack,sometimes interfer with the rack tending to tip the rack over. This hasbeen a serious problem in the operation of automated pallet handlingmachines when used with pallet 3,501,028 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 todamage such as bending or the like, as hereinbefore pointed out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention employs a very simple andnovel means for compensating a pallet handling machine with relation tothe actual disposition of horizontally spaced portions of a palletsupporting rack when the pallet carrying means of the pallet handlingmachine moves into position in the rack to deposit a pallet on a shelfportion of the rack. The present invention utilizes novel compensatingmeans adapted to permit lateral movement of the pallet carrying means inresponse to a wedgeably operable means connected to the pallet carryingmeans; said wedgeably operable means adapted wedgeably to be forcedbetween horizontally spaced elements of a pallet supporting rack, and inthis manner, the pallet carrying means of the invention slides laterallywith respect to its direction of movement while moving into positionwi.hin a shelf area of a pallet rack.

Specifically, the invention comprises a carriage means verticallymovable on a main frame with relation to a plurality of superimposedshelf portions of a pallet rack, and comprises a carriage means movablein a horizontal direction supporting a pallet carrying means and theroller supports for the pallet carrying means are adapted slidably tomove longitudinally of their axes in a direction at an angle to themovement direction of the pallet carrying means, and automatically inresponse to wedging operation of means on the pallet carrying meansseeking a position between two horizontally disposed and spaced elementsof a pallet supporting rack.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a verysimple pallet handling machine which is adapted automatically tocompensate for a lack of uniformity of pallet racks which may beinaccurate due to poor construction or damage during handling.

Another obect of the invention is to provide a pallet handling machinewhich automatically prevents many accidents occassioned by palletcarrying means of pallet handlers when moving into shelf positions inpallet racks for depositing laden pallets therein or for removing ladenpallets therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide very simple and reliablecompensating means for pallet handling machine; said compensating meansadapted readily and easily to permit movement of a pallet carrying meansof the machine in a direction laterally with relation to its directionof movement and to respond in relation to means wedgeably operablebetween horizontally spaced elements of a pallet supporting rack.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from thefollowing specification, appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apallet handling machine showing the machine in relation to palletsupporting racks, and showing only a portion of the machine adapted forloading pallets into the racks;

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view of the machine in FIG. 1, and showing adual use of the invention wherein the invention is adapted to removepallets from racks; said pallets carrying cured blocks, and also to loadpallets into the racks laden with freshly produced concrete blocks;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 33of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken from the line 4-4 ofFIG. 3, and showing the view rotated substantially 90 degrees from thatas shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 55 of FIG. 3,showing portions of the pallet carrying means and supporting mechanismbroken away and in section to amplify the illustration;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 66of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modification of theinvention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 4, showing themodification as disclosed in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view taken from the line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of a modified means of the invention; saidmeans being a wedgeable guide means for the pallet carrying means of theinvention adapted wedgeably to move between two horizontally spacedelements of a pallet supporting rack; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 12-12 ofFIG. 9, showing by broken lines a varying lateral position ofcompensating means of the invention adapted to permit lateral automaticmovement of the pallet carrying means of the invention in a directionlaterally of its normal direction of movement as it passes into and outof a shelf position of a pallet rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, a pallet handling machine, in accordance with the presentinvention, is disclosed for the purpose of handling pallets relative topallet racks which support pallets laden with cured blocks and uncuredblocks. The machine, as shown, is capable of removing pallets of curedblocks from racks, and also loading the racks subsequently with palletscarrying freshly produced uncured blocks.

In the disclosure of FIG. 1, part of the machine is omitted to permitclarity of the disclosure. The omitted part of the machine is basicallysimilar to the remaining portion of the machine which is disclosed. Theomitted part of the machine is the mechanism utilized for removingpallets from racks; said pallets containing cured blocks. This part ofthe machine is substantially the same mechanism as that disclosed inFIG. 1, which is adapted to load pallets laden with uncured blocks intoracks.

In the plan view, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, both portions ofthe machine which are merely opposite hand structures are shown relativeto racks which are movable, and in FIG. 2, the cured block bearingpallets are removable by mechanism of the machine from the racks whilepallets laden with. uncured blocks are loaded into the racks. Since themechanism is basically similar, only that portion, as shown in FIG. 1,is disclosed in detail throughout the remaining figures of the drawings.

The machine of the invention comprises a main frame 10 on which amovable frame 12 is vertically movably mounted. The main frame 10 issuspended by a roller chain 14 driven by a sprocket means 16 operable bya reduction gear motor 18. One end 20 of the roller chain is connectedto the vertically movable frame while a counterweight 22 is connected tothe opposite end of the chain to counterbalance the weight of thevertically movable frame and its component parts.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main frame 10 is provided with a pair ofvertical track members 24 and 26. These track members 24 and 26 areengaged by rollers 28 on one side and rollers 30 on opposite sidesthereof. These rollers 28 and 30 are connected to the movable frame 12to support it in a vertical movable relation to the main frame 10. Itwill be seen that the rollers 28 are on one side of the upright members24 and 26, and that the rollers 30 are on the opposite side thereof at ahigher elevation than the rollers 28.

These rollers 28 and 30 are mounted on brackets 32 and 34 of the movableor elevated frame 12.

Mounted on the movable or elevated frame 12 is a carriage frame 36. Thiscarriage frame 36 is provided with rollers 38 operable on an upper sideof a track 40 on the elevator frame 12, and rollers 42 on the carriageframe 36 engage a lower track surface of the track 40, as shown in FIG.5 of the drawings. Thus, the elevator frame 12 moves up and down on themain frame 10 and the carriage frame 36 moves horizontally on theelevator frame 12.

The carriage frame 36 is provided with horizontally I disposed palletcarrying platform 44 which is adapted to move into position betweenhorizontally spaced elements 46 and 48 of a pallet rack 50. Secured to afrontal portion of the pallet carrying means 44 is a wedge means havingoutwardly converging portions 50 adapted to be wedgeably insertedbetween the horizontally spaced elements 46 and 48 of the rack 50. Thepallet carrying means 40 may thus be placed in position to deposit apallet between the horizontally spaced elements 46 and 48 on arespective shelf of the pallet rack, and shown in FIG. 1, a plurality ofvertically spaced shelves designated 52 are provided in each pallet rackbay for receiving or carrying block laden pallets.

In many instances, the racks, as shown in FIG. 1, are provided withuprights 54 which become bent or may lack uniformity in their spacedrelation, such that the pallet carrying means 44, as shown in FIG. 4,when moved in a direction of an arrow A between the horizontally spacedelements 46 and 48 may not align properly in which case the wedge means50 may guide the pallet carrying means 44 between the horizontallyspaced elements 46 and 48 and to avoid tipping of the pallet racks 50,the invention is provided with means for permitting lateral freedom ofmovement of the pallet carrying means 44 so that the wedge means 50 mayforce the pallet carrying means 44 laterally of the direction in whichit moves, while it is moved between the horizontally spaced elements 46and 48, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

This means permitting lateral freedom of the pallet carrying means 44comprises a horizontally disposed track means 54, as shown best in FIGS.3 and 5 of the drawings. This track means 54 comprises a pair ofelongated box-shaped in cross-section tracks 56 which are carried by theelevator frame 12. The pallet carrying platform 44 is coupled to achannel member 58 disposed between the tracks 54 and 56, and secured toopposed portions 60 and 62 of this channel member 58 are pairs ofrollers 64 operable in the tracks 56, as shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and7 of the drawings. The pairs of rollers 54 are spaced apart by a plate66 which has opposite ends 68 and 70 engaged by a compression spring 72and 74 contained in the box-shaped tracks 56. A fixed axle 76 passesthrough each respective portion 60 or 62 of the channel 58 and extendsthrough a pair of rollers 64 and one of the members 66, all as shownbest in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. Thus, the springs 72 and 74 beingin opposed relation to each other tend to hold the member 66 and eachpair of rollers 64 in a centered position normally to hold the palletcarrying platform 44 in a normally centered relation with respect to thehorizontally spaced portions 46 and 48 of each pallet rack. However,when these members are displaced either by lack of positioning controlor due to the fact that they may have been bent, the wedge means 52forces the pallet carrying means 44 laterally, such that the rollers 64move in the tracks 56 against compression of one of the springs -72 or74 in the respective direction as urged by engagement of one of theconverging portions 52 of the wedge means with one of the horizontallyspaced portions 46 or 48 of the pallet rack 50. Thus, it will be seenthat the combination of the wedge means and the means on the carriageframe 36 to permit lateral freedom of movement of the pallet carryingmeans 44 provides for automatic alignment of the palletcarrying means 44with a respective rack shelf area to deposit a block laden pallettherein or for the purpose of entering the rack to remove a block ladenpallet, as the case may be.

It will be understood that the horizontally spaced portions 46 and 48may be angle iron members forming shelf portions 52 or they may bevertical elements of the frame of each pallet rack, if desired. In FIG.1, the pallet carrying means of the invention may be aligned with aconveyor 80 extending from a concrete block producing machine, thisconveyor being adapted to carry pallets 82 laden with blocks 84, and thepallet carrying platform 44 is adapted to support the respective palletsand blocks, and thus deposit the laden pallets in the pallet racks 50,as hereinbefore described.

As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the conveyor 80 is parallel toanother conveyor 86 which moves away from the racks 50, and the conveyor86 is aligned with a pallet carrying platform similar to the platform44, but adapted to remove laden pallets from the racks, as the rack ismoved in the direction of an arrow B in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Theracks containing pallets loaded with cured blocks are carried away bythe unit designated 88 which is similar and opposite hand to the unitdesignated 90 and containing the hereinbefore described main frame,elevator frame, and carriage frame of the invention. Thus, the unit 88,as shown in FIG. 2, removes pallets laden with cured blocks to exposeshelves in the racks as they move in the direction of the arrow B to theunit 90 which loads the racks with uncured blocks from the conveyor 80which receives them from a production machine.

It will be appreciated that the invention relates to a pallet handlingmachine where it loads or unloads laden pallets from racks, andparticularly the invention relates to means for aligning the palletcarrying means of the invention with the rack shelves without creatingundue lateral pressure on the racks which may tend to upset them ordeflect them.

In the modification of the invention as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12,inclusive, the uprights 24 and 26 of the main frame are engaged byrollers 28 and 30 which support brackets 100 and 102 of a modifiedelevator frame 104 of the invention. Mounted on this elevator frame 104are horizontally disposed channel-shaped tracks 106 and 108. Thesetracks are opposed and their open sides, as shown in FIG. 12, aredirected toward each other.

A carriage frame 110 is provided with rollers 112 and 114 disposed insaid tracks, and the lateral spacing of these rollers is such that theymay slide longitudinally of the axes in accordance with the direction ofthe arrows C and D in FIG. 12 of the drawings, to permit the carriageframe 110 to move laterally and to permit the pallet carrying platformof the modified structure of the invention, designated 116, to movelaterally in the directions of the arrows C and D.

Secured to the pallet carrying platform 116 on the horizontally movablecarriage frame 104 is a wedge means 120 having converging portions 122operating similarly to the hereinbefore described wedge portions 52.This operation being with respect to the horizontally spaced portions 46and 48 of the hereinbefore described pallet rack 50.

When the converging portions 122 are forced between the horizontallyspaced portions 44 and 48 of the pallet rack 50, and when slightmisalignment occurs, the pallet carrying platform 116 is moved laterallyin the direction of either of the arrows C or D, as the case may beforcing the rollers 112 and 114 to slide laterally or longi tudinally oftheir axis and laterally in the tracks 106 and 108.

A pair of plate springs 124 and 126 tend to maintain the carriage framein an intermediate position with relation to the tracks 106 and 108 sothat the pallet carrying platform 116 may normally be aligned in amedian position.

The carriage frame 110, as shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, is drivenback and forth by an endless belt 130 driven by a gear reduction motor132. A similar arrangement may be seen in FIG. 3, wherein a belt 134 iscoupled to the carriage frame 12 to move it back and forth or carryingthe pallet carrying means or pallet carrying platform into and out ofposition between the upright members or horizontally spaced members ofthe pallet racks.

As shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, the carriage frame 116 is providedwith clip arms 138 clipped to the endless belt 130 so that as it isrotated in one direction, the carriage frame is extended, and whenrotated in another direction, the carriage is retracted.

According to a further modification of the invention, as shown in FIG.11, the wedge means is modified by providing a pair of rollers 140 and142 which tend to provide opposed converging surfaces adapted wedgeablyto be forced between the horizontally spaced members 44 and 48 of thepallet racks 50. These rollers 140- and 142 are mounted on the palletcarrying platform 116 in a similar manner to the wedge means 120 withits converging portions 122, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings.Thus, the invention comprises generally a combination wherein a carriageframe is adapted to carry a pallet carrying means and is provided withmeans for allowing lateral freedom of movement of the pallet carryingmeans laterally with respect to its movable direction, and wherein meansis connected with the pallet carrying means, and adapted wedgeably to beforced between a pair of horizontally spaced members of a pallet rack 50as to compensate for misalignment and to force the pallet carrying meansto move laterally of its direction of movement in order to align withshelf areas of the pallet racks.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the present invention may be restorted to in a mannerlimited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a pallet handling machine, the combination of: a main frame; andelevator frame movable up and down on said main frame; a carriage framemovable back and forth along a rectilinear axis and in a horizontaldirection on said elevator frame; a pallet holding rack adjacent saidcarriage frame; said pallet holding rack having a pair of portionsspaced apart in a horizontal direction; said carriage having guide meansadapted wedgeably to be forced between said pair of portions to guidesaid carriage into position with respect to said rack for depositing apallet therein; pallet carrying means on said carriage and coupled tosaid guide means; and compensating means supporting said pallet carryingmeans for movement laterally with respect to said rectilinear axis ofsaid carriage, said compensating means adapted to permit said palletcarrying means to respond in a direction laterally with respect to saidrectilinear axis, when said guide means is wedgeably engaged with one ofsaid pair of portions on said rack.

2. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said compensatingmeans includes elongated track means disposed in parallel relation tosaid rectilinear axis; and rollers supporting said pallet carryingmeans, said rollers slidable in an axial direction generally laterallyrelative to said track means and said pallet carrying means.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 2, wherein; said 7 track meansincludes a pair of opposed channel-shaped members open in a horizontaldirection toward each other, said rollers slidable thereinlongitudinally with respect to their rotary axes.

4. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said compensatingmeans comprises a track means on said carriage and supporting saidpallet carrying means, said track means being elongated in a directionat an angle to said rectilinear axis of said carriage, said palletcarrying means thus movable in said last mentioned direction withrespect to said rectilinear axis.

5. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein; said compensatingmeans includes elongated track means disposed in parallel relation tosaid rectilinear axis, said track means supporting said carriage on saidelevator References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1960 De Ronmefort21416.1 2/1966 Crice et a1. 2l4---16.4

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner

